by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools in the Great Lakes Region to determine which ones were the best for general studies students pursuing a bachelor's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 843 bachelor's degrees in general studies during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Your choice of general studies for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality general studies program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for general studies students working on their bachelor's degree.
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in general studies.
DePaul University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in general studies. Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general studies from DePaul University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a good option for individuals interested in a bachelor's degree in general studies. U-M is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor.More information about a bachelor’s in general studies from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in general studies needs to check out Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global. Located in the rural area of Marion, IWU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general studies from Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global
Indiana Wesleyan University is a great choice for students pursuing a bachelor's degree in general studies. Located in the distant town of Marion, IWU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general studies from Indiana Wesleyan University
Kent State is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Kent.More information about a bachelor’s in general studies from Kent State University at Kent
Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general studies from Illinois State University
Located in the town of Big Rapids, Ferris is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general studies from Ferris State University
Located in the city of Youngstown, Youngstown State University is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general studies from Youngstown State University
Located in the city of Toledo, University of Toledo is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general studies from University of Toledo
Located in the suburb of Aurora, Aurora is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in general studies from Aurora University
Explore the best general studies schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .
General Studies is one of 3 different types of Liberal Arts General Studies programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts | 1,874 |
| Individualized Studies | 975 |
| Humanities | 143 |